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Buying Guide

Getting Started

Are you considering building or selling a solution that is powered by Adobe® InDesign® Server software? For customers new to InDesign Server, Adobe recommends looking at the network of partners that have built products or offer training, consulting and development expertise. Here are resources available for in-house developers or partners.

Learn and Develop

Your first step is to evaluate InDesign Server to see if it’s the right technology for your solution. Plug-ins and scripts can be prototyped on InDesign software first. You should make sure you have the appropriate development skills, including a working knowledge of C++ and scripting and, ideally, some experience developing publishing tools or plug-ins for the desktop version of InDesign. If you don’t have these skills, you may want to contact a partner for consultancy, training or licensing of existing technology.

To aid your evaluation, you can also download and review the following resources.

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InDesign Server SDK

The InDesign Server Software Development Kit (SDK) gives an overview of InDesign Server. Review the Getting Started and Introduction sections which detail how to install and run InDesign Server in a simple environment and briefly describes how to communicate with InDesign Server through SOAP.

Access most of the developer resources at Adobe I/O

The InDesign Server Scripting Guide

Also part of the InDesign Server SDK, the InDesign Server Scripting Guide provides important background information on creating scripts for InDesign Server. It offers simple examples of common scripting operations and discusses the conversion of InDesign scripts for use with InDesign Server.

On the SDK page, you can also find several free introductory webcasts on developing with InDesign Server.

Because InDesign Server shares the same codebase as InDesign, many developers find it useful to start developing with the desktop version of the application. They use it to prototype their ideas before making the jump to InDesign Server.

Learn more about the InDesign Server SDK

Technology Partners

Technology partners who want to develop their own solution should:

Partners who wish to resell InDesign Server as an integrated component should work with their Adobe representative or an Adobe Distributor.

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Licence

Adobe InDesign Server can be licensed for use by systems integrators and third-party developers as well as in-house development teams.

Pricing of the InDesign Server engine varies according to the nature of the solution, its usage and how it is deployed. When you talk to your Adobe representative or solutions partner, be prepared with answers to the following questions:

  • Is the solution for internal use only, accessible only by employees of the Licensee?
    If so, Limited licence is appropriate
  • Is the solution available to external employees? Are you a partner planning to offer a hosted service or an organisation planning to offer a web-based solution that you want to make available to people outside your own network?
    If so, Premium licence is recommended
  • Do you need a server for Development, Testing and Staging?
    If so, the Development licence is recommended.

For more details, including pricing, see the Licensing Information section below.

Licensing InDesign Server

InDesign Server is sold as an annual term licence and includes all updates during the term and installation support. Licensing is per server and there is no limit to the number of users, but different models are required for internal and external audiences. Licence types are described below.

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Description
Cost associated
Premium licence
For use with automated publishing solutions made accessible to customers or users other than the Licensee’s employees via the Internet in addition to rights to use corporate wide within an intranet. There is no limit on the number of users for this licence. Partners or end-users are permitted to use the Premium licence model in hosted or SaaS based offerings, but InDesign Server must be an integrated component of a solution, not as a stand-alone service.

$13,500 every year

€13,500 every year

¥1,353,000 every year

Limited licence
For use with automated solutions that are made accessible only within a company’s internal network only, limited to employees of Licensee.

$5,000 every year

€5,000 every year

¥491,700 every year

Development Licence
For testing or staging InDesign Server solutions, not for Production use. Produces same output as a Production licence.

$2,100 every year

€2,100 every year

¥254,100 every year

Trial licence
Enterprise Customers can request a Trial version by contacting their Account Executive.

Licensing FAQs

Where can I purchase InDesign Server?

InDesign Server is a CC Enterprise product and can be purchased through resellers certified to sell the Value Incentive Program (VIP) or if you are buying the InDesign Server component directly from Adobe, it can be included on Enterprise Term Licence Agreement. The product is also available through select solutions partners who sell InDesign Server as an integrated component of their solution.

Are there any limits to the number of users that can use InDesign Server? Do users need need an Adobe ID?

InDesign Server is a server-based product. It differs from Named User Licensing or any other consumable model. It is connected to the licensing entity, not to a named user and requires a licence for each server installed on it but doesn't restrict the number of users, nor do users need an Adobe ID to access.

Can I manage InDesign Server from my Admin Console?

Starting with the 15.1.1 release, InDesign Server can be managed on the Admin Console. Earlier versions (15.0 and prior versions) are not managed on the CC Admin Console. If you are an existing customer that purchased InDesign Server before April 2020, new SKUs should be ordered at time of renewal from either a VIP Reseller or from Adobe directly. See further Help instructions on how to create InDesign Server installation packages from the Admin Console.

I recently purchased InDesign Server 16.0. Can I roll back and install older versions?

Customers that are managing licences from the CC Admin Console will only see one older version, 15.1.1. Older versions like 14.0 and earlier are not available on the Admin Console and require different SKUs. Customers that are renewing an older licence like v14.0 should upgrade to VIP. They may continue to use the older licence upon renewal and upgrade to the latest version when ready, however they can only run the number of licences purchased.

I already purchased InDesign Server 15.0 (or older) and am renewing my licence. Which SKUs should I order for renewal?

Customers that started with older versions and are renewing should move to the new SKUs. After renewing, the older version will continue to operate but will not be available on the Admin Console. Customers can only use one version at a time but will then have an upgrade path to the latest version when ready.

I am purchasing InDesign Server for the first time but require an older version. How can I purchase older versions such as v14.0?

It is possible on an exception basis but contact sharewithids@adobe.com for more assistance. Customers that purchase an older version are locked into that for the duration of their one-year term

Can I install InDesign Server on Cloud based or Virtual Server Platforms?

Yes, installation on these platforms is permitted, however customers should review Adobe Help files for further information. Adobe Customer Support cannot help with network performance issues that can arise on Cloud Platforms.

Are separate licences needed for backup or disaster recovery?

No. Copies of InDesign Server can be made for disaster recovery and/or backup in accordance with the End-User Licence Agreement (EULA), but they cannot be used for live production unless the production server fails. These copies should not be confused with cluster or load-balancing configurations.

I am upgrading from a one major version to a new version? Can I run both licences to test while upgrading?

Customers in the process of upgrading can run both versions for up to 90 days but can only run one version for production at a time. Adobe recommends purchasing the Development licence for extended testing and staging solutions.

How does Adobe treat Cloud or VPN usage into an internal network?

Cloud or VPN usage is acceptable within an internal network and therefore does not require any special licensing, as long as it does not violate the terms of the licensing model. For example a Limited licence, available only to users of the licensing company can be installed on a Cloud platform. Installation on Cloud Servers requires a licence for every virtual server the software is installed on.

How does Adobe define an internal network?

An internal network is a local corporate network or intranet behind a firewall within a single primary domain. It can encompass Cloud based platforms if access is restricted to employees of the licensee.

Is it possible to virtualise or partition a hardware server in order to run single or multiple instances of InDesign Server within individual virtualised operating systems?

Software partitioning is a model of configuration in which multiple instances of operating systems execute cooperatively on a single computer. With either hardware or software partitioning, each instance of the Adobe software requires a separate licence. The EULA makes it clear that a licence is required for each CPU that is enabled to run the software. The customer must be able to provide proof of partitioning upon request via Adobe’s standard audit rights. A multi-instance licence cannot be distributed and installed across multiple virtual partitions, as each virtual partition is considered a unique server requiring a new licence.

Do I need to license different language versions of InDesign Server?

No. There is a single version of InDesign Server that supports document creation and composition in more than 20 languages just as InDesign desktop does.

Which licence type should I purchase if I am using InDesign Server in a multi-tenet solution on the same Server?

The Premium licence model is required to host solutions for multiple customers/consumers from different companies all running on the same server. A Limited licence can be hosted on behalf of one client only.

How do I gain access to the developer version of InDesign Server?

Commercial product developers who develop products or solutions for clients can request a licence through their membership in the Adobe Exchange Partner Programme for Creative Cloud. In-house developers should purchase the Development licence. Additional tools can be found on Adobe.io.

Do I need to license different language versions of InDesign Server?

No. There is a single version of InDesign Server that supports document creation and composition in more than 20 languages just as InDesign desktop does.
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